


California Girls...Again

by bloodredcherries



Category: Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin, California Diaries - Ann M. Martin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 21:23:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodredcherries/pseuds/bloodredcherries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The BSC is back in Palo City for two full weeks of fun in the sun...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dawn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bookplayer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookplayer/gifts).



Prologue: Dawn

_Dear Mom, Mary Anne, and Richard,_

_I can hardly wait to see Mary Anne, Kristy, Stacey, Claudia, and Shannon in less than two weeks. It will be great to have my Stoneybrook friends here in Palo City. Carol and Dad were so nice to let them come up! (Though I think they are relieved that Abby, Mallory, and Jessi couldn't make it, but don't tell any of them!) Oh, Jeff says to have you tell Byron that he is looking forward to his visit. Thanks._

_Sunny says hi and that she's looking forward to seeing everyone. She says she'll call you later this week, Mom._

_We don't have a lot of things planned out, but I promise we'll be having fun. (Not too much fun, Richard, and the two of you shouldn't worry because Carol's still staying home with Gracie and Dad's taking vacation time.) I'm sorry that you can't see us over the summer, but Dad said that we're coming for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks._

_I hope that your cases are going well, Richard, and that you're feeling better, Mom, and that you did well on your finals, Mary Anne._

_Love,_

_Dawnie._

 

I dropped the letter in the mailbox down the street from my house, knowing that it would get to Stoneybrook, Connecticut, within days, even though I lived in Palo City, a suburb of Anaheim, in California. Why was I writing to somebody in Connecticut, you ask? It's a long story. Let me tell you about it.

 

My name is Dawn Read Schafer, and I am fifteen years old. Currently, it is summer vacation, and I have just finished my freshman year of high school. I live in Palo City, California, as you already know, with my dad, Jack, my stepmother, Carol, my twelve year old brother, Jeff, and my nine month old half sister, Elizabeth Grace, whom we call Gracie. I grew up in Palo City, and both my parents lived in my house, together, until I was twelve, about to turn thirteen, when they got a divorce. My mom, Sharon, lives in Stoneybrook, (it's where she grew up), with my stepfather, Richard, (they were high school sweethearts), and my stepsister (and one of my best friends) Mary Anne. For awhile, Jeff and I lived in Stoneybrook too, but it just got too hard for us to be away from California, and our dad. Jeff moved back in the beginning of his fifth grade, and my eighth grade, year, and I moved back January of my eighth grade year, due to some tragic circumstances, which I'll get into later. I have two sets of grandparents, my dad's, who live in Sacramento, and my mom's, who live in Stoneybrook, and a set of step-grandparents (Carol's), who live in Anaheim, and come over to see Gracie a lot.

 

For awhile, I had two lives. I was bicoastal Dawn. Sure, my two sets of friends knew of each other (and even met once or twice) but they didn't know each other. See, my Palo group consists of Sunny Winslow (who's been my best friend since we were six), Maggie Blume (who's been my friend since kindergarten), Amalia Vargas (who moved here in eighth grade), and, oddly enough, Jill Henderson (we were friends, then we weren't, now we're friends again), and then, there's Ducky (let's just say that it's complicated).

 

When Sunny's mother got sick, and later died, a lot of things happened. A lot.

 

Things in Stoneybrook were a bit simpler. Actually, a lot simpler. My friendship with Mary Anne led to my joining the Baby Sitters Club, or BSC, my seventh grade year. Kristy Thomas is the president, and she is in charge of the whole club. She lives in a wealthy neighborhood with her crazy blended family. Mary Anne is the secretary of the club, and she is, of course, my stepsister. Claudia is the club's vice president, and she is great with art and fashion design, though she was recently diagnosed with a learning disability. Stacey is great at math and is the club treasurer. She is another divorced kid and has type one diabetes. Finally, Shannon is Kristy's neighbor and the daughter of one of my mom's childhood best friends (they aren't friends now), and she has taken my old position as alternate officer. (There were some other members of the club at one point, but there aren't, now.) It had been Mary Anne's idea to plan this visit.

 

Well, and all of my parents and stepparents, of course.

 

I have to admit that I'm looking forward to it, though I am a bit nervous.

 

I think that's normal, though.

 

I walked into my house, where my brother, Jeff, and his friends Zeke and Rob were playing video games, Gracie watching them from her swing, and I leaned over and tickled her stomach, causing her to giggle at me. I scooped her up and carried her into the kitchen, where Mrs. Bruen was preparing lunch and Dad was sitting at the table, reviewing some important papers. When Gracie saw him she let out a happy squeal and reached for him.

 

"Dada!"

"Hey, Gracie. You hungry?"

"Dada!"

"Come here, pretty girl. You just want your daddy, don't you?"

"Dada!"

 

I handed her to him, sitting down with a seltzer and a bowl of carrots and hummus. Gracie babbled happily at him, distracting him from his work, as she tended to do for anyone. Not that we really minded, as she was so adorable. He cleared his throat.

 

"Yes?"

"Sunshine, I think that Sunny is going to have to live with us, for awhile, at least. Paul is refusing to, well, parent her, as has been evident, and her aunt wanted her to go to school out in Georgia, but she's agreed to let Carol and I attempt to, well, turn her around instead. We all agreed that it would be better for Sunny."

"I know, Dad. Thank you."

"It's what Betsy would have wanted. Well, sort of, at least."

"Does Sunny know?"

"Yes. She and Carol are packing her things up now."

"Do they want my help?"

"No, Sunshine, you should stay here. Now, about Christopher..."

 

That was the complicated thing.

 

"Dad, Ducky is refusing to take a hint. Sunny doesn't need him right now. She needs positive people, not people who'll convince her to sneak into our garage and drink you and Mom's old Mikes!"

 

And the other, major thing, that Dad and I won't talk about. He sighs, running a hand through his hair, and exhaling loudly.

 

"The good thing is that Carol and I finished those off."

 

We both laugh, nervously, and my baby sister laughs too, though only because her daddy is, not because she gets it. I love her so much. I can't believe I had ever not wanted her.

 

"Daw! Daw! Daw!"

"Oh, so you want Dawn now, do you? Why, 'cause she's your big sister?"

"Daw, Dada, Daw!"

"I think she wants you to hold her, Sunshine. You want to?"

 

I take her from him, bouncing her lightly, and she beams at me.

 

"Daw!"

"Yes, it's me, Gracie. I'm your Daw."

 

She beams even wider. The telephone rings, and Mrs. Bruen answers it. She quickly hands it to me, mouthing 'it's Kristy Thomas'. My smile matches Gracie's.

 

"Hey? Kristy?"

"Hi, Dawn, how are you?"

"I'm fine...you aren't saying you can't come, are you?"

"No! I need to get away from here. Hold on a second. Karen Brewer, get off the other end of the line! Sorry about that. Look, promise me Abigail Stevenson wasn't invited. Promise me."

"I promise. Just you, Mary Anne, Stacey, Claudia, and Shannon."

"Thank God."

"Kristy? What happened?"

"Nothing. Well, not nothing, but not anything. It's a long story. A really long story."

"Well, you can tell me about it when you visit, okay?"

"Okay. I guess. How's California?"

 

Gracie babbles loudly as my dad stands to get a cup of coffee, and I smile.

 

"It's fine. Gracie and Jeff are getting big. Oh, and Kristy, Mom said to remind you that Jeff and Byron are twelve and are not your sitting charges anymore."

"Oh! I knew that...Hold on a minute, Karen, I'm on the phone!"

"Kristy, you can let Karen use the phone. Just email me or something."

"Okay. See you soon."

"Yeah. See you soon."

 

Darn it. I should have told her not to get some brilliant idea about fixing Sunny. I should have.

She wouldn't, would she?

I hope not.

Maybe she can just baby sit Gracie.

_Dear Dawnie,_

_Thank you for your letter. Of course Richie and I understand why you can't come to Stoneybrook this summer! We did just see you a few weeks ago, silly. Mary Anne is looking forward to having a break from here, anyways. She misses you. I miss you too, Dawnie. It was great hearing from you, Jeffy, and Sunny yesterday. You sounded happy._

_Richie and I are thinking of taking a weekend and going to a bed and breakfast, just the two of us. I'm feeling up to it, and it would certainly be romantic! He's being so sweet to me._

_You are happy, right? About the baby? It's okay if you aren't, I understand. I do hope you are, though. How's Jeffy taking it? Tell him he better write to me._

_I miss you, sweetie._

_Love,_

_Mom_


	2. Mary Anne

Chapter 1: Mary Anne

 

Dear Dad and Sharon,

Right now, Kristy, Shannon, Claudia, Stacey, Byron, and I are on a plane (as you both well know) on our way to Dawn's for two whole weeks. I can hardly wait. I hope that Dawn's California friends like us-they did seem a bit wild, especially Sunny's old boyfriend, Ducky, but I know that Sunny and Maggie will be nice, so that's good. I will call you as soon as we get to Jack's. Also, I am going to talk to Kristy about her, well, bossiness, and remind her about what you said about Sunny. I think it makes a lot of sense.

Please, Dad, I know you think it is horribly rude, but do not let Abby know where we are or give her the Schafers' number. Please. Kristy will explain when she gets back. They had a bit of a fight, so to speak.

I hope that your doctor's appointment goes well and that everything's okay with you and the baby, Sharon.

Hope to hear from you soon! Have fun on your weekend away!

Love,

Mary Anne

 

Though I knew it was a bit foolish to write a letter to Dad and Sharon already, I really, really missed them, and I really, really didn't want to hear Kristy complaining about the meal the airline had served us. Who knew that there were so many synonyms for roadkill and who knew that Kristy Thomas knew them all? Not me. I'm Mary Anne Spier, Dawn's stepsister, and we were currently on a cross-country flight to visit her in California. I've been to California a few times since Dawn and I became stepsisters: once on a trip with the BSC back in eighth grade (all of us that were in the club at that point, minus Logan and Shannon, went); for Dawn's father's wedding (Kristy, Claudia, and I went to that, and it was so romantic); and more recently, last fall, to see Dawn's new baby sister and to go to our friend Sunny's mother's funeral (Sunny is one of Dawn's old friends from Palo, but Sharon was best friends with her mom and we've bonded over the fact that both of our mothers died of cancer). I was happy to go again.

 

The fact that Jack and Carol (that's Dawn's father and stepmother-they let us call them by their first names) let Dawn invite the other club members made it even better, and the fact that they could all come was the best part of all. Usually, summer is a busy time for us, but this summer, it wasn't.

 

Kristy's family was spread out doing all sorts of things, and she'd jumped at the opportunity to join us (her father and stepmother wanted her to visit them, in San Francisco, but she hadn't shared the sentiment). She's been my best friend since we were kids.

 

Claudia was afraid she'd be in summer school, but her learning disability diagnoses and pointed help in the Resource Room at school had caused her to pass all her classes. She had a ton of money from both babysitting and selling her jewelry at Stacey's mother's new store, so her parents let her come along.

 

Stacey's parents let her come along as well, after getting Carol and Jack to promise that a repeat of her last trip to Palo City would not occur. Once that was promised, Ms. Spencer, and Mr. and Mrs. McGill showed up at the airport to see their "Boontsie" off, with hearty reminders about taking care of herself. Stacey has type 1 diabetes, after all.

 

Shannon turned down her family's annual trip to the beach to come, and nobody really blamed her. Tensions have been running high at her house since we first met, back in eighth grade, and she's afraid they might reach a point of no return. Like Dawn, Shannon goes to a private school, and she was reading one of their summer reading books.

 

And then, there was Byron, Jeff's friend, who is twelve. He is one of three identical triplets, which is really rare. My dad says it was a big deal when they were born, but they're just normal twelve year old boys, like Jeff. He's sitting in the window seat, next to me, playing his gameboy with his headphones in. He's been really excited to see Jeff. I think they really missed each other.

 

Then, of course, there's me. Mary Anne Spier. I'm kind of shy, a good student, and this trip was mainly my idea. You see, Sunny has had a lot of trouble since her mom died, and so Dawn decided to stay in Palo City this summer to be with her, even though she'd miss seeing all of us. Sunny and I write letters to one another (and email) and she wondered if maybe some of us could come visit. I told Dad and Sharon, and they thought it was a great idea. So did my therapist, Doctor Reese. She told me that she thought it would be good for Sunny to have some positive influences around her, and that it would be good for me to visit California for a bit. I know she's right.

 

"Eww, Kristy, gross! Now I can't eat this!"

 

I decided to interject, pulling out the brownies from my carryon.

 

"Sharon bought brownies for us, guys. She said that even Stacey could eat them."

 

"It's true. Since I got my insulin pump I can eat a lot more sweets than I could before. I can have a brownie. Thanks, Mary Anne."

 

She took them and passed them around. They looked positively delectable. Even Kristy "Gross Me Out" Thomas couldn't comment on it.

 

After we all had our brownie (some of us had more than one) Kristy watched a baseball game on the in-flight TV, Stacey and Claudia began to read the tabloids they'd bought at the airport, I started to read one of Shannon's books (it was called Heart is a Lonely Hunter), and Shannon and Byron took naps.

 

Soon enough we were taxiing down the runway. We were in California.

 

After we got all our luggage (Claudia had the most), we met the Schafer-Olsons (including Sunny) at the baggage claim. Needless to say, I started to cry as Dawn and I hugged. I cry at everything, really. Sunny was following Dawn around, a bit like a puppy, and I realized that she was actually nervous. I gave her a hug, and went about introducing her to my friends.

 

Carol had borrowed her friend's van again, and I found myself in the backseat with Sunny and Gracie (who was sound asleep and in her car seat). Byron, Jeff, and Kristy were in the next seat, while Claudia, Shannon, and Stacey were in the middle. Dawn sat up front with Jack and Carol. It was a tight fit, but we all made it. Shannon spoke first.

 

"I know that Mr. and Mrs. Schafer have never met me, but it was nice of them to let Dawn invite all of us to visit, and it was nice of Mary Anne to come up with the idea. I'm glad I'm not at the beach with my family. Tiffany just texted me to tell me that Mom and Dad aren't speaking to each other. Kristy, wasn't your sister supposed to go with them? As a friend for Maria?"

 

Kristy's head shot up.

 

"Yes...why? What happened? Lisa and Seth wouldn't let her go? But they promised Mom and Watson!"

"Tiffany says that at the last minute they wouldn't let her. Melody came instead, but she's just not used to the family dynamics..."

 

A dark look came over my best friend's face, and I reached up and patted her on the shoulder.

 

Thankfully, Dawn spoke next.

 

"What do you guys want to do? Do you just want to hang around my house tonight? We could rent movies and get Chinese."

 

We all agreed that that sounded good, though Jeff and Byron looked unhappy about having a bunch of teenage girls in the house all night.

 

"Dad, can Byron and I watch movies and eat take out in the rec room? Puh-lease?"

"I guess that's all right with me. You two better behave. I don't want you playing any tricks on your sisters' friends, you hear?"

"Okay, Dad, geez. We'll be good."

"I mean it, Jeff."

"I know."

"It's settled. You girls can have the living room, you boys can have the rec room, and Carol, Gracie, and I will get out of your hair. Dawn, will you be inviting Maggie and Amalia?"

 

Mr. Schafer, er, Jack, looked rather strained as he asked the question, and the absence of Ducky's name was completely obvious, almost as obvious as Dad's hesitation when Kristy had told him and Sharon all about her and her dad's plans to get together for an Angels game while we were near LA. I didn't really know all of the full details, but I knew that something had gone on with Sunny and him, and that I had a feeling I really didn't want to know the whole story. Sharon had tried to tell me, but she'd ended up blushing profusely and needing to go out to smoke a cigarette, so I dropped it.

 

I looked over at Sunny. She was sound asleep, sunglasses over her eyes. I sighed.

 

"No, Dad, not tonight. They have something to do with Vanish."

"Oh, okay. That's too bad."

"No, it's okay. We'll just see them tomorrow."

 

She flashed him a bright smile (it looked a little bit fake), and he smiled back. His was even faker. I watched Carol lean in and kiss him on the cheek, and I sighed. I wished Sunny was awake so that we could talk. Gracie babbled happily at me, and I rubbed her little tummy. Carol spoke, glancing back at us.

 

"Kristy, Richard told Jack and I about your father's plans to meet you for a baseball game in LA."

"Uh-huh. Dad promised. We only went to five baseball parks together, and only four of them were for real. He promised me we'd go to all the Major League parks, when I was five. Then he moved out here."

"Well, either Jack or I will bring you there, okay? I don't want you getting a ride from anyone else."

"Who else would I get a ride from?"

"Du-"

 

Dawn spoke up.

 

"No one, Kristy. Just this kid we all know."

 

The uneasy silence fell over the car again. I looked out my window and sighed.

 

Hopefully the next two weeks wouldn't be this awkward.


	3. Kristy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italicized bits from Kristy's book [her memories]

_Dear Dad and Zooey,_

_Here I am in sunny California, at long last, for two whole weeks! I can hardly wait to see you guys at the Angels/Yankees game! We are staying with Dawn, her father, stepmother, younger brother, and half sister. It should be a good time. Mom and Watson thought this would be better for me than spending two weeks with just you guys, especially since Charlie, Sam, and David Michael can't come. I think Dawn's brother is jealous about you guys taking me to the game-he's a big baseball fan, and I think he'd like to see the Angels play in person again. Oh well. I'll see you guys this weekend!_

_Your Daughter,_

_Kristy Thomas_

 

Looking back, perhaps I should have asked Jeff why he was being so bizarre every time I brought up the Angels/Yankees game, but at that point in time I didn't question it. Dad and Zooey had promised me (and Mom and Watson) that we could go to one, since the stadium is so close to Dawn's, and I was so excited. Finally, I had a real, meaningful relationship with my dad.

 

Finally.

 

My name is Kristy Thomas. You likely already know that, but I felt like introducing myself. Normally, I'd go into a long, drawn out introduction of myself and my friends, but I didn't have time for that today.

 

Our first full day in Palo City started off with me being rudely awoken by Dawn's friend, Sunny, shaking my shoulder and shoving the extension of the cordless phone into my hand. I answered, still half asleep.

 

"Hello, Kristy Thomas speaking. May I-"

My politeness was unrewarded when my father, Patrick Thomas, started to guffaw. "Kristy, why are you so formal? You know it's me."

"Dad?" I whispered, sitting up.  _What time was it?_

"Yes, it's me," he replied. "Are you looking forward to the game?"

"Yes, Dad. I am."

"I'm glad, Kristy." He sighed. "I wish you'd stayed with us, instead of with your friends. I get the feeling that they don't really like me."

"Dad, they're my friends," I responded, a bit annoyed. "And Mary Anne and Claudia remember what happened, remember?"

 

What happened? Oh, just my father abandoning us all when my youngest brother was only a year old.

 

"Zooey says that should be in the past." Of course she did. "And who was Sunny? What kind of name is that? Was she one of Maxine's?"

I felt a headache named 'Dad' coming on. "No, Dad, she's Dawn's best friend."

"I'm not surprised. With a name like Dawn-"

"Dad!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Look, Dad, I kinda have to go." I didn't want to wake up Claudia and Stacey, both of whom were asleep on the living room couch. "I'll see you at the game."

"Bye, Kristy."

 

I stood up and walked into the kitchen, surprised that Sunny was still awake, and that Carol and Jack were awake as well. This was a bit awkward.

 

"Sunny," I asked, a bit hesitant to hear the answer, "what did my dad say to you on the telephone?"

 

She stared at me, looking confused. "That was your father?"

 

"Who did you think it was?"

 

"I dunno. He called himself P-Dog, so I thought he was your boyfriend, I guess."

 

P-Dog?  _P-Dog?_ Dad had found it appropriate to call up a total stranger's house and refer to himself as P-Dog when someone he didn't know answered the phone? I cringed.  _Why did he have to be so embarrassing?_

 

"Oh." I didn't quite know what to say. I rarely know what to say when it comes to Dad.

 

Everyone thinks I'm nuts for believing that he's changed. Even my family, especially Sam and Charlie. My mother insists that she believes me, but I know she's just humoring me. I don't really blame her. Dad has been a somewhat consistent disappointment.

 

I sat down at the table and poured myself a glass of orange juice.

 

Dawn's father spoke. "About this baseball game..."

 

"Yes?" I responded. I could hardly wait. "What about it?"

"Are you positive that the Angels are playing in Anaheim this weekend?"

 

Of course I was positive! "Yes. That's what Dad just called to talk to me about."

 

He raised one of his eyebrows. "You're sure?"

 

"Yes! Dad's a sportswriter. He knows this stuff."

"Well, alright. I suppose you're right."

 

Was there some reason to not believe him? Dad had seemed so sure on the phone, and I really had missed him and Zooey.

 

I was about to ask Jack (that's what he insists on being called) why he was acting so weirdly when Mary Anne came into the room. I shut my mouth. Mary Anne hates hearing about my father. She thinks he's a jerk.

 

"Good morning, Kristy, Carol, Jack, Sunny," she said brightly. (It was eight in the morning. She's one of those weird people that's really polite and sweet all the time.) "I hope you all slept well."

 

"Kristy's dad just called," Sunny announced. I nearly groaned.

 

"Did he? That's wonderful."

 

"I think she's lucky her dad's gonna take her some place," Sunny responded, somehow completely oblivious to the tension (and the fact that Mary Anne Spier had just been sarcastic). "I wish my dad was speaking to me."

 

Fortunately, (well, I did feel bad for Sunny), that admission distracted the whole room from the situation with my father. Even Mary Anne knew that Sunny's problem was more important than grousing about my deadbeat dad.

 

Carol gave her a hug.

 

Jack tousled her hair, shooting the house next door a Look. (I have to admit, the Look impressed me. I'd have to learn how he did it.)

 

And Mary Anne started to whisper sympathetic things to her, sitting in the chair beside her.

 

Gracie babbled loudly in her high chair.

 

I started to develop a great idea.  _What if we could get Sunny and her dad to make up?_ It wasn't exactly going to be an easy one, but I was sure we could manage to do it.

 

We were, after all, The Baby Sitters Club.

 

Sometime after Dawn's father went to work and Sunny calmed down, the rest of our group woke up. Dawn and Shannon woke up first (after Mary Anne and me, of course), then Stacey (who'd needed something to eat due to her diabetes) and finally Claudia (who was quite happy to discover that Jeff had an affinity for Frosted Flakes).

 

Carol was staying home with us. I think she was still on her maternity leave.

 

Jeff and Byron came downstairs and ate Frosted Flakes with Claud, who'd been hopeful she wouldn't have to share. The rest of us all had eggs and toast. It was nice.

 

I didn't dare mention my great idea to anyone, not even Mary Anne. She'd likely try to talk me out of it.

 

"Jeff, don't you think it's cool that Kristy's dad likes her enough to take her to the game Saturday?" Sunny asked. Jeff shot us all a look.

 

"What game?" He replied, munching on his breakfast. "This Saturday?"

 

"Yes, the game this Saturday!"

 

"Doesn't Kristy's dad live in Stoneybrook?" He asked, looking slightly confused.

 

Sunny shrugged. "I dunno."

 

Mary Anne entered the conversation. "No. Kristy's dad lives in Sausalito. You're thinking of Watson, Jeff."

 

"Anyways," Sunny replied, her blue eyes glinting, "I think it's awesome. Even if I don't really like baseball."

 

"Baseball game?" Jeff parroted, sounding a bit unsure about something. "Your dad's taking you to a baseball game?"

 

"Uh-huh!" I responded, remembering when I was a kid and Dad had promised to take me to all the major league ballparks. That hadn't happened, of course, but that was in the past. "Yankees versus Angels."

 

"I don't think that's a home game," he replied. Of course it wasn't a home game for the Yankees! I knew that! I wasn't the biggest baseball fan in the BSC for nothing.

 

Carol intervened, even though I could have defended Dad myself. "Jeff, honey, I'm sure Kristy's father wouldn't invite her to a game that didn't exist."

 

I was fairly certain my best friend turned a snort into a sneeze, but I paid her no mind.

 

"Thank you, Carol," I said.

 

"You're welcome, Kristy. I think Jeff is just a bit jea-"

 

"Jealous? I am not!" He retorted. "I don't care if her dad's taking her to a game or not. I just think that the game's away!"

 

I noticed that Stacey was remaining oddly silent. Shouldn't she come to my defense? Tell Jeff that he was wrong? She was from New York, after all. Shouldn't she know this stuff?

 

I knew that Dad wouldn't lie about this. He had no reason to. It wasn't like Jack and Carol were friends with Mom and Watson, really. And Sam and Charlie weren't there to get jealous. Or David Michael.

 

The rest of the meal was mostly silent, except for the sounds of all of us eating and Gracie cooing at her mother.

 

I tried to not dwell on what Jeff had said. Or about how Jack had been so weird when I'd brought up the game.

 

While we dressed for the day, I thought back to my childhood.

_They would only let me play with them if they desperately needed one more kid to make a team. Or sometimes, when my dad was playing ball with them, he'd include me. "How's she going to learn if you don't play with her?" he'd say to my brothers._

" _Aw, Dad, come on!" Charlie would say. "She's just a little kid."_

" _Besides, she's a girl," Sam would add._

" _Don't let your mother hear you say that," my father would joke._

_Then my dad, my brothers, and I would play a game of catch. Of course, I wasn't as good as my brothers. I was only five and a half years old, after all. But my dad would say things like, "Good catch, Kristy." And because he was nice to me, my brothers sort of were, too._

 

Another memory flitted through my mind as I brushed my teeth and applied a little makeup.

 

" _Your father has decided to live somewhere else. I'm sure he will call and talk to you about it soon." We had dozens of questions about this situation, such as when he would call us and why he had left. All she could answer was, "I don't know." Or, "I wish I could tell you that." And, "I'd like to ask him that myself."_

_Charlie was angry at our father. Sam was angry, too. But Sam was more angry at Mom than at Dad. One day Sam blurted out that it was her fault that our father left. She didn't scold him, but she went to her room and closed the door. Charlie was really mad at Sam. "She's probably crying again right now," he told Sam. "And it's your fault." My brothers usually got along pretty well with each other. But now it seemed they were always fighting._

 

Another one came to mind as Dawn and Jeff argued over who got to help Carol dress Gracie.

 

" _Hi, there," Patrick said. He started the motor. "How'd you like to go bowling in Stamford?"_

" _I can't," I said. "I told Mom I'd be home by ten. It's already after nine-thirty."_

" _So tell her you had to sit late," he said._

" _If I don't come home on time she'll call the Rodowskys. They'll tell her when I left their place. And I sort of just lied to them about who was picking me up. I'll be in big trouble with Mom and she'll find out you're here."_

" _You poor kid," he said. "Elizabeth sure is keeping you on a short leash." He put his hand around his neck and pretended a collar was choking him. "I live with Elizabeth. I know how it feels."_

" _I don't like it when you say things like that about Mom," I said. "It was hard on her, the way you left and everything."_

_He shifted into gear. "I suppose," he said. "But she was always better than me with that domestic stuff." I didn't say anything. I wondered if my father was angry at me for criticizing him._

" _Look, Kristy," he began. "I'm sorry I've been such a lousy father to you. I'm trying to make it up. I'm doing the best I can. Give me half a chance. Okay?"_

" _Sure," I said. "That's cool. I'm glad you came back … Dad." That was the first time I called him "Dad." He grinned at me to let me know he liked that. I hoped it made up for criticizing him._

" _How about we swing in through the drive-in joint and get something to eat?" he suggested. "Do you have time for that, Cinderella?"_

" _You better bring me back on time," I kidded, "or your car will turn into a pumpkin."_

_Dad reached over and pulled my hat over my eyes. "Guess you've got your old man's sense of humor."_

 

A hand touched my shoulder, and I nearly screeched. I'd really been deep in my memories. The hand belonged to Sunny Winslow, and she sat beside me on the stairs.

 

"I just wanted to let you know," she said, looking pale and a bit depressed, "that I believe you about your dad."

 

It meant a lot to me. I smiled at her.

 

"Thanks, Sunny."

"You're welcome."

 

Shannon came and joined us. Sunny looked at her, warily, and I made the introductions. Mary Anne's father and Dawn's mother had tried to stress the importance of being nice to Sunny, yet giving her her space.

 

"Sunny, this is Shannon Kilbourne. She's one of the members of the BSC, and she's also one of my neighbors. Shannon, this is Sunny Winslow. She's Dawn's best friend."

"It's nice to meet you, Sunny." She looked around the hallway. "Oddly enough, this is the first time I've ever been to California."

 

That was a bit odd, considering that Shannon's family had a tendency to take excessive vacations.

 

Sunny pulled out her cell phone, and she actually smiled when she saw who was calling her.

 

"Excuse me," she said. "I have to take this."

 

We exchanged glances. I wondered who she was talking to.

 

"Come on," I said. "Let's find out what we're doing today."

 


	4. Sunny

 

 

  
_Dear Sunny,_   
_You better be behaving-you have no idea how long it took me to convince Richie you wouldn't be too wild with Mary Anne around. I know you'll just ignore any lecture I give you, so I guess I won't even bother. Just try to be a good girl._   
_Please, Sunny?_   
_Give me a call, honey, if you need to talk to me. I do care about you._   
_Love,_   
_Sharon_

 

Well, I'm Sunny "screw up" Winslow, but I guess you already knew that. My mom died, my dad pretty much abandoned me, and I live with my best friend's family, next door to my old house. Well, I live with Dawn (she's my best friend), her little brother Jeff, her half sister Gracie, her stepmother, Carol, and her father, Jack. Dawn's mother isn't dead, like mine is. She's so lucky. She has two moms. And two dads. Sharon, Dawn's mother, lives all the way in Connecticut. That's where she grew up. She married her high school sweetheart, Richard (I think that's what Ducky and I will be like some day-I think that forbidden love is so romantic), and she lives with him and his daughter, Mary Anne. I think her mom died when she was a baby. Sharon and my mom used to be best friends, until Sharon left.

 

I miss her.

 

My mom, I mean, though I do miss Sharon too. I could do without the constant reminders about "behaving" or "maybe Dusty is a bit too old for you", though. First of all, his name is Ducky, not Dusty. Second of all, I am behaving.

 

Well, sort of.

 

Maybe I'm not, but what does she know? She and Jack  _hate_ each other. That's why they got divorced.

 

Though, it is a bit weird how all of Dawn's friends were able to come up for the summer.

 

At once.

 

I'm a bit suspicious that Jack and Sharon may have worked together on this one, but I'm not sure.

 

Anyways, Dawn's friends (they're kinda goody-goodies, like her) are here from Connecticut. For two whole weeks. I'm kind of nervous.

_I'm the weird girl whose mother died and who's living with her best friend's family because her dad hates her guts._

 

The telephone rings, and I answer it. Carol's up too, but she's busy nursing Gracie.

 

"Hello, Olson-Schafer residence," I say, half expecting it to be a telemarketer.  
"Hey-o, it's P-Dog! Is the K-ster there?" It's a guy.  
"I'm sorry, who?" I reply, flirting a bit.  
"Sorry," he replies, "Kristin. Is Kristin there?"

  
_Kristin?_ He must mean Kristy, Dawn's bossy friend. I didn't know she had a boyfriend. I smile.

 

"I'll go get her," I said. "She's just in the living room. Do you have a real name?"

  
_Do you have a real name? Was that the best I could come up with?_ He laughed, and I beamed.  _He thinks I'm funny._

 

"It's Patrick. She'll know who I am." He replied. "Do you have a real name?"  
"I'm Sunny."  
"Sunny. I don't think I remember you. You Richard Spier's kid?"  
I giggled. He thought I was Dawn's sister. "No, I'm not. That's Mary Anne."  
"Mary Anne...yeah." He trailed off.  
"I'll go get Kristy, though. If you want."  
He chuckled nervously. "Sure. Thanks, Sammy."  
"It's Sunny."

 

I was so annoyed. Couldn't Kristy's boyfriend remember people's names? And why had he thought I was one of Richard's daughters? Didn't he know that Mary Anne was his real daughter and Dawn was his stepdaughter, not me?

 

Kristy was sound asleep on the blowup mattress, so I shoved her awake and handed her the phone. She could be the one to tell her boyfriend he was so rude.  
I didn't even stick around to hear the conversation. I stormed back into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee, refilling Carol's. I sighed. She noticed.

 

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern filling her features.  
"I guess. I just wish you guys would trust me."  _And Ducky,_ I silently added.  
"Sunny, it's not that we don't trust you, it's just that we feel you and Ducky should take the summer to cool off. Just try being friends."

 

I guess it made sense. I mean, I wasn't very happy that Ducky and I had, well, gone all the way. And I guess that we could try being friends. I sipped my coffee.

 

"Oh," I replied. "Okay, Carol."

 

Jack walked into the kitchen, already dressed for work, and I smiled at him. He smiled back.

 

He and Carol kissed and he picked up Gracie, bouncing her lightly.

 

She giggled.

 

I sighed.

 

Kristy walked in, looking slightly annoyed. She spoke to me, putting the phone back on its base. "Sunny? What did my father say to you?"  
Father? P-Dog was Kristy's father? He couldn't be!

 

"That was your father?"  
"Who did you think it was?"

 

I couldn't tell her the truth, especially not with both Carol and Jack in the room. "I dunno. He called himself P-Dog, so I thought he was your boyfriend, I guess."  
Her eyes went wide. She turned beet red. "Oh."  
We didn't say anything else. Jack put Gracie in her high chair and started to read the paper. Kristy poured herself some juice. The silence was somewhat awkward. I thought about calling Sharon, but decided against it.

 

Jack cleared his throat. "About this baseball game..."

"Yes?" Kristy responded, looking nervous. She said something that I couldn't quite catch. I noticed that he was reading the sports section, but remained silent.  
"Are you positive that the Angels are playing in Anaheim this weekend?"  
"Yes. That's what Dad just called me to tell me about."  
"You're sure?" Jack didn't look like he believed her. I pretended to be interested in my coffee.  
"Yes! Dad's a sportswriter! He knows this stuff!"

 

Kristy's facade was dropping a bit. Even Carol noticed. She put a hand on Jack's arm, obviously trying to get him to drop the subject.

 

"Well, alright. I suppose you're right."

 

They both lapsed into silence. Thankfully, Mary Anne came in, and she seemed rather happy to see everyone.

 

"Good morning! Kristy, Carol, Jack, Sunny," she beamed at everyone in the room. "I hope you all slept well!"

 

She looked confused by the lack of a happy response. I stepped in, hoping to bring her up to date.

 

"Kristy's dad just called." Kristy groaned as I finished my sentence.

 

Mary Anne got a strange, fake, smile on her face. "Did he? That's wonderful."

 

I felt bad for Kristy, even though we weren't particularly close, so I decided I'd help her out. Our father's were obviously both jerks, after all. "I think she's lucky that her dad's taking her some place." I said, sounding appropriately morose. "I just wish my father would."

 

***

 

The mental letter I was composing to Sharon was abandoned when Jeff and his little friend Byron finally came downstairs, one wearing an Angels cap, the other a Yankees. I decided that Jeff would be the way to go.  
He was blissfully unaware of the morning drama, and I knew he had a slight crush on me.

 

"Jeff," I asked. "Don't you think it's cool that Kristy's dad likes her enough to take her to the game on Saturday?"

 

He blushed slightly, looking around. "What game? This Saturday?"

 

"Yes, the game this Saturday!"

 

He gave his sisters a confused look. "Doesn't Kristy's dad live in Stoneybrook?"

 

Mary Anne responded, looking unamused. "No, Kristy's dad lives in Sausalito. You're thinking of Watson, Jeff."

 

"Anyways," I said, turning my gaze to him so he'd know I wasn't exactly being oblivious. "I think it's awesome. Even if I don't exactly like baseball."

 

I was pretty sure Jeff knew there were no baseball games on Saturday that were near Palo City.

 

"Baseball game?" He asked. "Your dad's taking you to a baseball game?"  
Kristy remained oblivious. "Uh-huh! Yankees versus Angels."  
"I don't think that's a home game."

 

She was getting angry, I could tell. So could Carol.

 

She interjected herself nicely into the conversation. "Jeff, honey, I don't think Kristy's dad would invite her to a game that doesn't exist."

 

Mary Anne snorted as Kristy thanked Carol.

 

"Jealous? I am not! I don't care if her dad's taking her to the game of not, I just think it's away!"

 

Things got awkward. After we ate breakfast, I decided to call Sharon. I figured she'd have some idea what was going on.

 

"Sunny? What is it? Are you alright?"

 

I sighed. There was really no need for her to panic. "Sharon, I just have a question. That's all."

 

"Oh. Hi, honey. What's up?"  
"It's about Kristy's dad."  
"Well, hon, I don't know much about him."  
"Do you think he'd stand her up?"  
"What do you mean?"

 

I explained the morning to her in as little detail as possible, and I heard her sigh. "Well..."

 

"What?"  
"I think that Jack and Jeff would know more about the Angels schedule than Kristy..."  
"And?"  
"...look, Richie would know the answer to this. How about I call you back after I ask him?"

 

 

Sharon was hesitating. I wasn't stupid. "Okay."

 

 

The phone call finished, I returned to the kitchen, finding the sports section hastily hidden inside "A Million Ways to Cook Tofu". I smirked, pulling it out of its hiding spot.

 

Dawn and her friends were getting dressed, anyways.

 

Carol had taken Jeff and Byron to the Blumes, to play with Zeke.

 

I opened the sports section, reading the headlines.

 

One of them caught my eye:  _Palo City Times Welcomes New Sports Columnist Patrick Thomas._

 

I put two and two together, and carefully returned the paper to its hiding spot inside a rarely used vegetarian cookbook.

 

Poor Kristy. I felt so bad for her.

 

I joined her on the stairs, and made false promises about how I believed her about her dad, because I knew what it was like. I think she fell for it.

 

Her friend Shannon, who's like a less screwed up Maggie, joined us. I actually liked her. And then, Sharon called.

 

I think that Kristy thought I was talking to Ducky. Whatever.

 

"Hello?"  
"Sunny, honey, I don't think I asked you how summer school was going."

 

I had a feeling Sharon would have asked me to read off all of Carol's CD collection in order to not have to resume our conversation.

 

"Sharon..."  
"Okay, fine! Richie says that...that...it's fairly likely that Kristy's dad would do that."  
"Oh."

 

I'd had been hoping that  _Richard_ (and no, even I knew not to call him Richie, I wasn't that oblivious) would have denied the possibility.

 

"Don't be mean-"  
"I'm not gonna be. I think her dad will come through."  
"Sunny-"  
"Don't 'Sunny' me."  
"Fine, I won't. Look, just don't-Never mind. I think it's wonderful that you support Kristy and her delusions."  
"De-" Sharon cut her off.  
"I'm sorry, that's not fair of me. You're right. They might not be."

 

Yeah. Right. Like how she'd told me that my mom might get better. Or like how she told me the stupid alternative program at Vista wouldn't suck.

 

I sighed.

 

"I gotta go."

 

I knew one of them was in the kitchen, and I could just picture it being Dawn and her wondering why I'd called her mother.

 

I walked back into the kitchen. Kristy was searching it for something. I sighed.  _Was she that determined to kill her own delusions?_

 

She noticed me. It was sort of hard not to, though I wanted to hide.

 

"Have you seen the sports section?" She asked.

 

I thought fast. "Jack took it to work with him. He always does."

 

It sounded logical. Jack read the sports section. He was at work. And the section itself had "disappeared."

 

"Okay." Kristy replied, shrugging.

_That was it? That was It? What happened to Kristy's bossiness? Her inability to accept things for what they were?_

 

In fact, Kristy Thomas looked pathetically depressed. I sighed.

 

"Are you okay?" I asked.  
"Mary Anne and Dawn think I'm setting myself up for a disappointment," she replied. "That Dad's gonna stand me up again. Why do they think that?"

 

I thought back to my conversation with Sharon, and I was half tempted to tell her that Mary Anne's father agreed with their assessment, but I didn't.

 

"I believe you, Kristy." I knew what people wanted to hear from me. I hadn't bsed my way into convincing the principal of Vista into letting me join their alternative program without my dad's permission for nothing, had I? Nor had I been unable to completely convince Carol and Jack that I would behave when Jeff and Dawn's friends came from Stoneybrook. (I certainly was not-and they were all fooling themselves if they thought I was). Therefore, a casual half-truth about Kristy's father fell easily from my lips.

 

She, of course, ate it up.

 

"Thanks, Sunny. I really appreciate it."  
"You're welcome, K-ster."  
The look she gave me was one that could have killed. " _What did you just call me?"_  
I smirked. "K-ster. Duh. Isn't that what P-Dog calls you?"

 

She cradled her head in her hands.  
 


End file.
